


Too Many Shadows

by OrangeChickenPillow



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Crankiplier - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom, peebles
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ghost Hunting, Haunted House, Hurt/Comfort, Male Friendship, Mark Fishbach & Ethan Nestor - Freeform, Mark Fishbach/Ethan Nestor - Freeform, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Sort Of, They get spooked, crankiplier - Freeform, kind of lol, spooky stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27367978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChickenPillow/pseuds/OrangeChickenPillow
Summary: When Mark and Ethan rented a "haunted house" for an Unus Annus video, they never expected to uncover a chilling truth: that there really was an entity inhabiting the place, and it was out for one of them.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson
Comments: 17
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter 1

They weren’t set to film for another hour or so. Amy had been the one to suggest a pre-video exploration of the house. 

“Just so we know the layout, and so I can take a mental note of all the potential tripping hazards,” she’d said with a smirk. 

The boys had agreed; they didn’t have anything better to do, and the location was cool. 

It had been advertised as a “haunted house,” though it was really just a party venue that the owners had presumably spookified to benefit from the Halloween season. All in all, the place was admittedly cool. It could definitely pass as a haunted house, with its tall void ceilings, echoing staircases, and strange vacant corners. The added decorations were a little over the top, but after all: it was just a venue. 

They set off to explore the house, which, while brightly lit up, looked even more like the scene of an abandoned college party. Ethan led the way, craning his head to admire all the decorations. 

“Spooky place,” he said in one of his voices. 

Mark smirked and agreed. 

Each of them couldn’t help but think of how much fun this video was going to be as they surveyed the new location. They floated through the wide open space of the downstairs, peering into the many smaller rooms that were cluttered with strange objects. 

“Should we grab some of the ghost hunting devices and give ‘em a whirl,” Amy asked, light and playful. 

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Mark said, making a beeline for the duffle bag they had thrown in the corner along with some filming supplies. 

The first things his fingers touched were the dowsing rods. Pulling them from the bag and holding them at arm's length, he said jokingly, 

“Are there any ghouls in the building?”

Ethan chuckled, a smirk forming on his lips. 

Then the rods began to twitch. Mark’s hands were frozen as the rods spun frantically in all directions before both points came together. He looked up to find that they were pointing at Ethan. 

“Someone’s popular with the ghosts,” he said. 

“Yeah babey!” Ethan shouted, head thrown back, clenching his hands into fists and thrusting his hips. 

Mark gave a grimace and shook his head, “Don’t,” he muttered, though a laugh had started in his chest. 

Ethan giggled. 

“Um, guys,” Amy’s voice interjected. “Look.” Her outstretched finger drew their attention to the rods in Mark’s hands. 

They hadn’t moved an inch since they’d pointed at Ethan, but now one of them was slowly turning back towards Mark. It moved sluggishly, but with purpose, and didn’t stop until it pointed at the center of Mark’s chest. The other rod remained on Ethan. 

“Guess they like both of us, eh?” Ethan said. 

Mark shrugged, then tossed the rods back into the duffel bag. 

“Oh, our radios,” he said, pulling two small walkie talkies into view. "Almost forgot about these things."

"Neat. Aren't we just professionals?" said Ethan, one of his many voices returning. 

Mark smirked at his friend. "You're such a weirdo," he said, his tone full of affection.

“Ha ha, you know you love me," Ethan returned his smirk. "Hey! You think we should explore upstairs before we start filming!?" His voice had grown excited. 

“Yeah, why not," Mark said with a shrug.

Amy’s phone lit up with a ding. 

“You guys go ahead. I’m gonna hang out down here.”

“Ok. Give a shout if you need anything,” Mark responded. 

When they reached the upper floor of the building, something in the mood changed. Ethan noticed the difference first, as he was the first to reach the top of the old staircase. Mark had been looking down, admiring the intricately carved railing when he nearly plowed the smaller man over. 

“Woah, you okay there man?” He asked teasingly. 

Ethan was standing, his body tense, staring out into the second floor. 

“Ethan?”

“What?” He started, “Yeah, nothing -- I’m fine. Just… feel kinda weird all of the sudden.”

Mark’s eyebrows knit together. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ethan’s voice was light again, and he waved his hand. “All good.”

“Alright,” Mark said, not entirely convinced, especially as he watched Ethan take a very hesitant step onto the floor, like he was trying not to break through the boards under his feet.

Then Mark reached the top, and he knew why his friend had hesitated. 

The air felt thick and electrified, like it was crackling around him. But most unsettlingly, he felt like he was being watched. It was such a cliché, he knew that, but he really felt like there was someone standing behind him, breathing over his shoulder. He felt himself tense, as if his body was anticipating some sort of attack. 

“Eugh, it’s weird up here,” he muttered, his neck muscles tensing. “I don’t like it.”

Ethan turned around, and Mark was startled to find a look of genuine concern in his eyes, though only for a moment, before it was replaced with something more joking. 

“Spooooky,” Ethan drawled in a low, silly voice. But Mark knew him well enough to see the discomfort that lingered on his face. 

Mark was a rational guy. Nothing about the way he was feeling seemed rational to him, so, brushing it aside, he tried to chalk it up to the atmosphere. Maybe all the Halloween decorations were a little more effective than he’d given them credit for. 

Ethan lingered at the top of the stairs, peering out into the wide upper room. Sensing his friend's apprehension, Mark stepped in front of him and further into the room. 

“I’ll protect you from the ghouls,” he said with good humored teasing.

Ethan chuckled, “Hey thanks man.” 

Still, Ethan stayed close behind Mark; the younger man wasn’t sure why he was so worried -- all he knew was that his anxiety had shot through the roof ever since he’d reached that top step, and he definitely didn’t want to be far from Mark. 

Mark didn’t mind. 

Huddled together, exploring what could visually pass as an old abandoned house, they kind of felt like kids. The room was wide, curving in on itself to accommodate the two semi-circle staircases on either end. The far end consisted of bare frames, gradually narrowing to a small crawl space. There was a hallway on the wall at their left. It looked dark, with lighter shadows cutting into it, giving it a strange patchwork effect. 

They hadn’t gotten very far when the lights went out. 

Everything around them turned black; they lost the edges of their bodies to it, lifting their hands to their faces only to see darkness instead. 

“You guys okay?” They heard Amy’s voice, thick with concern, float up to them from below. 

“Yeah, we’re good. You okay?” Mark’s voice answered, falling down to the first floor. He shouted so she could hear him, but his voice was strained, like he was afraid to get loud.

Ethan hadn’t made a sound. 

“I’m good. I’m gonna see if I can find a breaker box or something.” And then her voice was gone. 

A few seconds of silence followed before Mark realized that he didn’t know where Ethan was. A jolt of panic rippled through his body, making his limbs burn. 

“Ethan?” His voice was calm, but sounded small. 

“Yeah?” 

Ethan’s voice was closer than Mark had expected; he jumped, but relief soon overtook any fear. 

“Jeez, I was worried I lost you for a second,” he said, laughing nervously. 

Mark felt the younger man’s hand brush his back, then grasp his shoulder firmly.

“I’m here,” he said in a strained, sing-songy voice. 

“Yeah, I can feel that,” Mark said, trying to lighten the oddly tense mood. They were two grown adults -- a little darkness shouldn’t scare them as much as it was. 

Ethan laughed, and Mark smiled into the darkness. The least he could do was try and keep his friend relaxed until the lights came back on. He silently hoped that Amy was doing okay. 

“Oh,” Ethan exclaimed, removing his hand to smack himself in the head before returning it back to Mark’s shoulder. 

“I’m so dumb.”

“What?”

Suddenly there was light, and Mark craned his head to see Ethan’s face illuminated by the pale glow of his phone’s flashlight. 

“Duh,” Ethan said, waving his phone and rolling his eyes. 

“Oh - good thinking,” Mark said with a nod. 

Ethan smiled at him, and for a moment they both forgot where they were, and the tense feeling that had wound its way into their gut was ignored. 

Then they heard a noise. It had come from the hallway.

It was a scraping, grating noise; the sound a large piece of furniture makes when you push it across hardwood floor. 

Mark felt Ethan’s finger’s curl against his shoulder blade as they bunched up his shirt in a tight grip. 

“What was that?” Mark had meant for the question to come out louder than a whisper, but it hadn’t. Mark hadn't meant to sound scared, but he did. 

“I - I don’t know,” Ethan whispered, his voice high and airy. 

Mark turned slightly towards the steps, keeping himself between the hall and Ethan, who still had a tight grip on his shirt. 

“Amy… How’s it coming with the lights?” Mark called as loudly as he dared. 

There was no response. 

“A - Amy?”

After several seconds of silence, Mark had no choice but to accept that they were on their own. 

He hoped to God nothing had happened to her. What - why? What could have happened to her? This is a venue, for Christ’s sake, he thought to himself. There was no reason to be afraid. Just because they heard something go ‘bump’ in the night didn’t make the place haunted. He had to be rational, especially since Ethan seemed so afraid. He had to get them out of there. And what was stopping him?

“Ok, Ethan?” He waited for a response. 

“Yeah Mark?” 

Mark’s chest tightened slightly at hearing how small Ethan sounded. 

“I need you to shine the light in front of me. I’m going to lead us around to the other staircase.” Mark didn’t want to admit it, but everything in him was screaming to avoid getting anywhere near the hallway, and since the staircase they had come up was closer to it… 

“Okay.” Ethan sounded more sure than he had before, and Mark breathed a little easier. 

“Alright,” he said, trying his best to sound indifferent. “Let’s go.”

Ethan held his phone over Mark’s shoulder, letting the light cut a pathway for them. Mark followed its glow, heading in the direction he hoped would bring them to the opposite staircase. It couldn’t be that hard to find -- the room was one big curve, so there was really only one direction to go. And anyway, Mark was almost an engineer; surely he could figure it out. 

I sound ridiculous, Mark thought to himself. He should have laughed, but Ethan’s hand gripping his shirt like it was the last thing in the world was a steady reminder of the inexplicable sense of dread this place inspired. Where had it come from, Mark wondered. 

They had made it halfway to the stairs when they were blinded by a flood of light. At first, Mark assumed Amy had gotten the lights back on. Then he realized that the glow was too… blue, and it was coming from one condensed area. It seemed controlled. 

“Did Amy get the--” Ethan didn’t have time to get the question out before he was pushed to the floor by his friend. 

“Get down,” Mark shouted as the light raced towards them, throwing his arm over Ethan and pushing the younger man to the ground. 

Mark felt its searing heat on his back, and he thought for sure his hair had been singed. 

And then the light was gone. It disappeared so quickly that they wondered if they’d even seen it at all. 

“Are you okay?” Mark asked.

Something in his voice must have alerted Ethan because he quickly responded with, “Yeah man -- are you okay?” 

“Yeah. I think it singed my hair.” Mark chuckled nervously as they both stood. 

“Wha - what do you mean?” Ethan had that look on his face that he sometimes got when Mark did something weird, only this time, it was accompanied by fear. 

Mark looked back at him, letting his arm drop to his sides. 

“What -- you mean you didn’t feel that?”

“Feel... what?”

Mark looked around in disbelief, then straight into his friend’s eyes. 

“You’re joking.” It wasn’t a question. 

Ethan looked grave, and a little startled. “Mark, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mark shook his head. The light had been so hot it hurt him. How had Ethan not felt it? The rational side of his brain quickly stepped in. Maybe Ethan had been positioned underneath him, so his own body had blocked the heat. That would explain why Mark had felt it, and Ethan hadn’t. Yeah, that was it. 

“Nevermind,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s get out… of… what?”

Ethan’s face had gone ashen, and his eyes had nearly doubled in size. He didn’t say anything -- didn’t even look at Mark, just pointed. 

They were back where they’d started. They were next to the hallway. 

“What the hell…” Mark’s voice was cold. They had been halfway across the room, and they hadn’t moved. How had they gotten here? 

“Uh, Mark…” Ethan started, his voice audibly shaking. This time he did look at the man. “This isn’t a gag, is it? Because it’s not funny.”

“It’s not a gag--”

Ethan took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m kinda freaking out here. What -- what do we do?” His voice grew strained, sounding more desperate with every syllable. 

Mark, determined to keep his friend calm, reached a hand out and put it on Ethan’s shoulder. 

“Hey -- Ethan! It’s alright, man. It’s fine. We’re totally safe here -- let’s just,” he shot a weary glance down the hallway. It looked like it had somehow sunken further into darkness than before. 

“Let’s just go downstairs. We’ll find Amy, and she’ll laugh at us for being such babies.” Mark started to steer his friend towards the staircase. 

Ethan’s breathing was almost back to normal, and he looked at Mark like he was doing his best to push down any feelings of panic.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said with a little smirk. 

“Always am,” Mark joked, hoping his friend would laugh. 

He did, and it made Mark beam despite their current situation. 

They were only four steps away from the stairs. But to get there meant drawing closer to the hallway, and even with all of Mark’s attempts at rationality, something deep inside him -- something primal, was telling him not to get anywhere near that darkness.

Three steps. Mark thought he saw something in the abyss. 

Two. Almost there, almost there. 

Then there was nothing but black. 

Mark felt Ethan jump, and their bodies knocked together. 

“No, no, no,” Ethan muttered, smacking his phone.

Mark thought he heard something. 

“It wont turn on,” Ethan whispered fiercely. 

Mark heard it again, and this time he was sure. 

“Eth,” Mark reached his hand out, trying to find his friend. 

“Mark, I don’t know--” Their fingers touched. Mark tried to pull Ethan closer. 

And then he felt something tear into his back. 

“Whoa, Ethan,” Mark shouted as he felt his body jerk backwards. 

“Mark? Mark!” Ethan was shouting now, spinning furiously in the darkness, trying desperately to locate his friend.

Ethan heard a thud, then the sickeningly familiar sound of grating, and then…

Silence. 

“Mark! MARK!” Ethan shouted, panic rising in his voice. 

When a sudden light pierced his eyes, he thought for sure he was dying. It took him a few moments to realize it was only his phone’s flashlight. It flickered to life, giving him some sense of where he was. It also revealed that he was totally alone. 

A few more seconds, and Ethan’s mind would have been reduced to only panic. Thankfully, Mark’s presence appeared almost the moment the light turned back on. 

“Mark! Oh thank God, I didn’t know--” Ethan stopped talking as he realized that Mark was coming out of the hallway. 

He didn’t know why, but he took a step back. Never in his life had he ever been afraid of Mark. But this… this felt different. 

“Wha-- ehm… What happened?” Ethan hated how squeaky his voice sounded. He hated how his arms had come up to protect his body. This was Mark -- his friend. 

“Oh, ah, haha,” Mark's hand came up to brush the back of his head. “I must have tripped. Things got real spooky back there.”

Something felt wrong. 

“Yeah…” Ethan’s voice trailed off. 

Then Mark appeared to remember something. 

“Are you okay?” 

Mark sounded concerned, and Ethan felt himself relaxing. 

“Other than getting the ever-loving shit scared out of me, I’m all good.”

Mark and Ethan laughed. 

“Alright, well, let’s go find Amy. We’re probably way behind schedule now.”

“Okay. Hey, it’s a shame we weren't filming -- that would have been a great outro.”

“Aw man, yeah. Maybe we could recreate it.”

“Yeah. Still a shame though, would’ve been cool to have caught the real thing.”

Mark simply nodded his head in reply, gesturing for the younger man to go ahead of him down the stairs. Ethan kept talking. 

“But at least we don’t have to come up with an outro idea now. Thank you spooky house, for the free content,” he said flamboyantly to the air. 

Mark chuckled. 

As they descended the stairs, Ethan was too distracted by the adrenaline coursing through his body to notice Mark glancing over his shoulder. 

On the first floor, Ethan was too excited to share their new outro idea with Amy to notice Mark’s eyes lingering on the stairs. 

In the hallway, there had been too many shadows for Ethan to notice Mark’s legs peeking around the corner, the rest of his unmoving body swallowed by the darkness.


	2. Too Many Shadows Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events at the haunted house, something feels very wrong, but neither Amy or Ethan can put their finger on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Initially, this was not going to be a series, but a lovely person in the comments got my creative juices flowing, and I had too many ideas to not keep writing, so here we are. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, but I'm thinking around 5. Planning for daily updates. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

When Mark realized he couldn’t move, he tried calling. Then he tried screaming. But Ethan was getting further and further away. Ethan was leaving with… with him. Mark’s eyes were closed, and he couldn’t open them -- he found that he couldn’t move at all, and the sheer panic of it threatened to choke him. The feeling only grew when he heard Ethan’s voice. 

“Hey, it’s a shame we weren’t filming -- that would have been a great outro.”

“Aw man, yeah. Maybe we could recreate it.”

Mark's chest instinctively tightened. He felt like he was going to vomit. 

That… that was his voice. But how? 

He tried screaming again as he heard the voices grow dimmer. 

Ethan was leaving with that thing. Ethan thought that thing was Mark. 

He felt his heart hammering loudly in his chest as he strained every fiber of his body in an attempt to get up. He couldn’t let that thing near Ethan -- or Amy. 

‘Shit, Amy,’ Mark thought, and his body began to burn with terror. 

He heard laughing float up from the lower floor. After several more moments of struggling, Mark gave up. His breathing racked his chest, and his throat was burning. He felt tears slip out of the corners of his eyes, running down his face. He tried to brush them away, and that only made him cry harder. His chest began to shudder, the pain inside him increasing with every frantic breath. 

Mark fell into a restless sleep listening to the sounds of Ethan filming video after video with the monster that had stolen his life from him. 

When he woke up, a spike of hysteria shot through his body, making it buzz uncomfortably. The house was silent. 

Forgetting where he was for a moment, he tried to open his eyes and call out for Ethan, Amy -- anyone. But his eyes remained sealed shut, and he could only manage a few soft whimpers. 

The hours dragged on, and Mark felt like he was in hell. The adrenaline had worked his body into such a panic that he couldn’t think anymore -- his mind was blank and sorrowful. A half hour after waking up to silence, Mark’s hand began to itch. It didn’t stop itching for a long time. His skin prickled, and his mind reeled, and all he wanted was to scratch that damn itch and then drive his head into a wall. 

And then he began to laugh. The noise was caught in his throat, making it flutter and ache, but that didn’t stop him. He laughed so hard he cried, and then he simply cried as the weight of his situation came crashing back down on him. He felt like something was trying to push his body through the floor. He felt heavy. 

He fell asleep again, and this time his body was gracious to him, and he didn’t wake up for a long time. 

Amy knew Mark. They had been dating for around five years. They got along well. They understood each other. 

But Amy was confused. 

Something about Mark was different. 

It all started on the drive back from the haunted house location. She couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but everything about his presence felt off. The way he sat, all rigid, like he was paying too close attention to how he appeared. They way he responded to her, like he wasn’t exactly sure what he was saying. She tried to ignore it; she couldn't understand what exactly there was to ignore. 

Finally, the feeling overwhelmed her, and she had to do something to relieve it. 

“Are ya tired,” she asked Mark carefully, trying to sound like there was nothing wrong. They had just arrived home, and he was looking around the house like he wasn’t seeing the same things she was. 

“Hmm,” Mark hummed absentmindedly. “Oh -- yeah. Actually, I think I’m going to head to bed.” He gave her a tight smile, and headed for the stairs. 

“O-Okay,” She said to his back. 

“But do you want anything for…” He was gone. 

“Dinner,” her sentence fell at her feet unheard. 

She felt her throat closing and thought maybe her heart was trying to get out. 

What was wrong with him? 

Her first thought was to call Ethan -- ask him if he’d noticed anything strange. But when she unlocked her phone and saw that it was nearly midnight, she sighed with despair: there was no way she could justify calling Ethan at this hour. Not when they’d been filming all day. And anyway, it was probably nothing. Mark was probably just tired. 

No, she shook her head. She was tired, and she wasn’t acting strange like Mark. Ethan had been tired, and he hadn't seemed like a totally different person because of it. There was normal strangeness -- the kind of strange you'd expect from someone, and then there was just plain... wrongness. She sighed again, trying to force her emotions to calm down until a reasonable time, when she could call and confide in Ethan. 

Making her way up the stairs, she fell into bed next to Mark, who was already breathing steadily, eyes closed.

She slept restlessly, as one does when their bed is cold with the shadow of a stranger. 

Ethan hadn’t been surprised to get a call from Amy. Sure, it was a little strange that she was calling him at six-thirty in the morning, but she had always been an early riser, and if there’d been a change of schedule, she would want to let him know right away. 

Ethan hadn’t been surprised to get a call from Amy, but that feeling changed the moment he heard her voice. 

“Amy? Are you okay?” he asked when her voice came through the phone, sounding cautious and upset. 

“Um… It’s probably nothing. Actually, I’m sure it’s nothing -- I’m probably just being weird but…”

Ethan waited tensely, letting her take her time despite his sudden burning need to know what was wrong with his friend. 

“But… Mark was acting really weird last night. Like… really weird.” Her voice grew strained with anxiety. 

Ethan felt himself relax -- so it was nothing serious then. But suddenly, he remembered what had happened. Suddenly, he remembered the hallway -- the way it had made him feel. The blood drained from his face. 

“Ethan, you there?”

“Yeah! Yeah,” He paused, considering his words carefully. “You just noticed it last night? After we filmed, not before?”

There must have been something in the way he said it, because suddenly Amy sounded suspicious.

“Yeah, why? Did something happen?”

Ethan almost laughed. Instead he stayed silent. 

“I mean, besides him tripping. He didn’t hit his head, did he?”

Ethan felt like his body had turned into an ice maker. His skin burned, but his insides felt increasingly frigid. 

“Uh -- no, nothing like that. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s nothing.” He tried to sound like he believed what he was saying. 

“Yeah… I just -- I don’t know. Something’s just not making sense.”

“Have you tried talking to him?”

“Kind of… he just keeps saying everything's fine. And then he’ll change the subject, asking how I slept or if I’m hungry. He even asked if I was doing okay, like I was the one acting weird.”

Ethan stopped breathing. What had Mark said to him the day before, right after the incident, when he’d started feeling doubts about his friend?

‘Are you okay?’ 

It was one simple question, but it had been enough to make Ethan forget about everything that had happened. 

Then Ethan remembered something else. The light. Mark had said there was a light. Mark had said that it burned him, but Ethan hadn’t felt anything. Then Mark was gone, and then he came out of the hallway and…

“Ethan?” Amy sounded exhausted. 

“Yeah, I’m here -- sorry. How about I talk to him? I’ll come by as soon as I can. See what’s up.”

There was a slight pause. Ethan heard Amy sigh, but he couldn’t tell if it was from weariness or relief.

“Yes, that would be good. Thank you, Ethan.” She sounded grim, but more confident than before. 

“Of course. I would do anything for you guys.” And Ethan meant it. 

“I know you would,” Amy said, and he could hear a smile in her words. “And we really appreciate it.”

Ethan smiled, though he could tell it didn’t reach his heart. 

“I’ll be over soon.”

The moment they hung up, Ethan couldn’t move. His mind was flooded with the light, the hallway, the fear he'd felt when he first saw Mark -- Mark, his friend. Why had he been so afraid of him? 

‘But what if it’s not Mark?’ 

He didn’t know where the thought came from. He tried to shake it from his head, but he couldn’t. He knew it was so insanely irrational. He didn’t believe in ghosts or demons or whatever. But something in the house had terrified him -- had made him feel a different level of bad -- and it seemed that something in the house had also gotten to his friend. 

Then something inside Ethan spoke up. 

‘Go back,’ it said. 

‘Go back to the house.’ 

So he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this one's not very long - wanted to keep things suspenseful, and if I would have added the next part to this one, it would have been super long. If anyone cares either way (preferring short vs. long, or long vs. short), feel free to let me know :)


	3. Too Many Shadows Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan returns to the place of the incident not really sure what he's doing or why he's doing it. What he finds inside the house only makes things worse.

Ethan’s mind felt like it was racing just about as fast as his car, and as he made his way down the road at fifty-two miles per hour, he thought about all the reasons why he was being ridiculous. 

They had rented the house for a whole weekend, despite only needing it for a day of filming. They wanted to make sure they’d have enough time, just in case there had been any complications. Well, there’d been a complication, but not the kind they’d been anticipating. 

Ethan knew he wasn’t going to find anything at the house. What was there to find? So Mark had seen a weird light? So he’d tripped and fell into a creepy hallway? So Ethan had been a little freaked out? So what? He was making mountains out of mole hills. 

But still, he couldn’t stop himself from getting in the car and driving. Even though he knew Amy would be expecting him. Even though he knew it was a waste of time. Even though he knew he wasn’t going to find anything. He just kept driving like there was no other choice. And in a way, it felt like there wasn’t. It was like taking a deep breath after coming up out of the water -- he simply couldn’t stop himself from going to the house. He just needed to see for himself -- convince himself that he was right; that there was nothing waiting for him there. 

Once he arrived, he practically jogged to the front door. When he entered the passcode to the front lock, he was annoyed to see that his hand were trembling. Seriously, what was up with him? Shaking his head in frustration, he entered the house. The lights were off, but sunlight filtered in through the windows giving the rooms a soft yellow glow. Dust particles danced between the rays. Ethan wondered how this place had been so scary the night before. 

He stood at the bottom of the stairs listening for a sign. Nothing. He almost turned around and left right then and there. But no, he’d driven the whole way here, he might as well have a look around. He was already quite familiar with the lower floor; they had filmed most of the content on ground level. He raised his eyes to the second floor. Remembering the horrible feeling of being up there didn’t do much to encourage him. But that was where Mark had fallen. That was where the hallway was. He had to look.

One foot after the other, he climbed the stairs, hand trailing along the rail. He took a deep breath, holding it as he reached the top step. Then he let it out in a confused sigh. He felt nothing. No fear, no anxiety… nothing. He tilted his head to one side as he stepped on the floor, wondering why the simple action had been so chilling the previous night. He took a few more steps, looking around. Everything was just how they’d left it. He felt his heart sink with disappointment, and then embarrassment: honestly, what had he been expecting to find -- a big flashing sign that said ‘Solution to Your Problem, Right Here!’ 

Ethan somberly shook his head, turning back towards where he had come. He really was so dumb sometimes.

Then he saw the shoes. He felt his stomach churn. Those were Mark’s shoes. 

No -- wait…

That was Mark. 

But, that was impossible, Mark was at home with…

He dialed Amy’s number with trembling hands.

“Hey Eth--”

“Is Mark with you,” Ethan tried not to shout. 

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“Are you sure?”

Amy laughed, sounding a little nervous. 

“Um, yes Ethan, I’m sure. He’s right here with me.”

He heard her voice move further away. 

“Hey Mark, say hi to Ethan.”

“Hey man, what’s up?”

Mark’s voice came through the phone. Ethan barely stopped himself from throwing up. 

“Ethan? Ethan?” Amy inquired in a sing-songy voice. 

“Nevermind, I have to go,” Ethan choked out, hanging up. 

Ethan stood, hands clutching at his hair, trying desperately to get some air into his lungs. 

‘What the hell is going on?’ he asked himself, over and and over again, but he could find no answer. 

Then suddenly, it felt like a fog had lifted from his brain; Mark was here, in this house, and had been since last night. He hesitantly crept over to the hallway. It felt just like a normal hallway, besides the body lying in it. Ethan looked down at his friend. Mark looked pale. With a sick feeling deep in his chest, Ethan carefully reached out a hand. Mark was warm. There was a steady pulse beating in his neck. The boy felt his airway open with relief, and couldn't help gasping.

“Mark,” Ethan whispered, keeping a hand on the man’s neck. 

Mark didn’t move, but his heart rate jumped beneath Ethan’s fingers. 

“Mark, can you hear me?”

The pounding increased until it felt like rapid-fire. Mark’s skin had taken up a glossy sheen. 

Ethan stood up, trying to think. 

The moment his hand left Mark’s neck, the man gave a low groan. It was so quiet, Ethan wasn’t exactly sure he'd heard it. It had sounded desperate.

“M-Mark?” Ethan really wasn’t sure what to do. “Mark, if you can hear me -- can you hum?”

A few seconds passed before a low, throaty noise came from Mark. 

“Shit,” Ethan breathed. 

“Mark? Shit -- are you okay?”

Mark whimpered, and Ethan’s heart nearly cracked in half. 

“What -- What the hell’s going on? Can -- can you not move or--?”

A noise that was high and panic-stricken burst out of Mark’s chest.

“Okay, okay,” Ethan said softly, wanting to reassure his friend. 

“Okay, I got you,” he reached out a hand, laying it on Mark’s shoulder with a squeeze. He felt his friend take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 

“I got you. We’re gonna figure this out, okay. I’m -- I’ll call an ambulance and--”

Mark’s breathing increased again, and based on the shrill warning sound that came from the man, Ethan gathered that calling anyone was out of the question.

“But Mark, there’s something wrong with you, I’ve gotta get help.”

Instinctively, Ethan reached out and tried to lift his friend’s arm over his head. If he could just drag Mark out to his car, he could get him home to Amy and she would know what to do. 

Mark’s arm wouldn’t budge. He pulled and pushed until Mark groaned. 

“S-Sorry -- I’m sorry,” He said, horrified. 

Moving around to Mark’s feet, he grabbed both of the man’s ankles. Carefully, he pulled. Mark was heavy, but not that heavy; Ethan should have been able to move him, but he couldn’t. 

Mark couldn’t leave the hallway, and Ethan didn't know how to help him. 

What were they going to do?


	4. Too Many Shadows Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan formulates a plan.

Ethan paced around the room, hands on his hips. His brow was creased as he made laps just outside the hallway. Before, he had simply stood near the stairs, but after a few seconds of silence, Mark had made a high panicked sound until Ethan reassured him he was still there. 

“I am not going to leave you, okay?” He said, his voice firm. 

He only got an exasperated sigh in response, and he imagined that Mark had tried to nod his head without success. 

So Ethan had started pacing. The building was old, and the wooden panels beneath his feet creaked loudly. The soles of his sneakers scuffed against the ground occasionally. Mark had fallen silent. 

Ethan groaned, smacking the side of his head as if that would help loosen some ideas.

“What am I gonna do?” He exclaimed desperately. 

His first thought had been to tell Amy -- to bring her here and show her, if she didn’t believe him. But when he’d told Mark, the man had made a sound like Ethan was threatening to stab him. It took a few moments for Ethan to realize why: if he told Amy, that thing would find out too. Ethan shuddered at the idea of the thing -- whatever it was -- knowing that he knew. He still had no idea why it had done this to Mark, or if it was hostile, and there was no way he was putting Amy in danger. 

He was on his own.

He continued pacing the room, trying to think logically. The word made him scoff. Nothing about this situation was even remotely logical.

Maybe he had to think illogically. 

He tried to organize his thoughts, listing the things he knew for sure in his brain in hopes of understanding the things he didn’t know. For starters, Mark couldn’t move. And if they were dealing with some sort of entity…

Ethan tried to hone all the knowledge he had gained from every supernatural movie he had watched, which admittedly made him feel really stupid, but he was running out of options. 

So if Mark was stuck here, and the attack had happened here, then it sounded like ‘here’ was an important place. If the entity was attached to the house somehow then… 

“Mark,” he said suddenly, and idea forming. “I think I need to bring that thing back here. I - I don’t know exactly why, but it’s connected to this house. And right now it doesn’t know that I know, so maybe I can trick it into coming back!”

Ethan smiled with the relief of finally having a plan. 

“Mmmhmm,” Mark hummed, and it sounded like agreement. 

“Ok, so… I’m gonna need to leave you for about an hour. But I promise I’ll be back, okay,” Ethan gently reached out a hand, pressing it firmly against his friend's shoulder. 

“I will come back, and I’ll have that thing with me, and we’ll kick its ass and make it give you your body back, and then you can go home and take the longest shower of your life and eat lots of ice cream, or something.”

Mark laughed, the noise sounding strange and muted, but it made Ethan feel warm all the same. 

“Hang in there, man. I’m gonna go now, but I’ll see you soon.”

He sounded surer than he felt. In all honesty, he had absolutely no idea what he was going to do once he got the thing here -- if he could get it here. But he had to try; his friend’s life was on the lines. He would die trying if he had to, or wind up just like Mark -- it didn’t matter: he would do whatever it took.

It needed an image. It had been looking for one ever since it had gotten stuck in the house; finding an image was the only way it could leave. It had looked, and it had seen so many humans passing between the walls, but none of them were to its liking. It was picky. But then the humans stopped coming altogether, leaving it alone and with no escape. It got frustrated, wishing it hadn’t waited so long to take one. The frustration turned into anger, and the anger grew into a burning that made it want to explode. 

But finally, after it thought it was never going to be free, some humans came back. 

There’d been three of them -- it could sense each of them right away. Two males and a female. As they clambered about the house, the activity thrillingly loud after so long spent in silence, it explored them with a sense of urgency. One of these humans would be its image. It was not waiting any longer. Now was the time to act. 

But which image to choose? The female seemed to be the one in charge, and the most rational. But she was kind, and talked softly, and she was always doing that horrible thing humans did with their mouths, turning their lips up and showing their teeth. No, she wouldn’t do.

Then there were the two males. One of them was significantly larger than the other, and it felt itself drawn towards that one immediately. This one seemed to be the next in charge -- following the female’s orders while in turn directing the smaller male. The large male seemed very fond of the other two -- they all seemed fond of each other, and all those human feelings only made it angrier. 

It decided on the big one. He seemed the best choice, out of the three. 

It had been planning to take him right away, not bothering to try and conceal its actions, but when the males ventured upstairs by themselves, another plan started formulating.   
It could take him without anyone even realizing it. 

But when it got near enough to strike, the smaller man seemed to react to its presence. He seemed to know it was there. That made it uneasy. It had to get the pesky human out of the way. 

So it shut off the lights. It remembered that humans never functioned well in darkness, and sure enough, the small man seemed to forget about its presence, instead focusing on the lack of light. Humans were always so stupid, which made taking their image so easy. 

It got them where it wanted them, and then it took the larger one. It pulled him into a dark hallway and stole his likeness, a process that left the human paralyzed. He would stay that way for as long as it needed him. For as long as it took to get out. 

Now in its new human form, it had to deal with the other two. Deciding it unwise to get rid of them, it pretended. It pretended to be the image it had stolen, and everything went smoothly. Humans were indeed stupid. When it left the walls of the house for the first time, it was immensely grateful that they were. 

But it hadn’t anticipated the female’s intuition. She seemed to grow more and more suspicious the longer it was near her. It tried to relieve her emotions, reacting how it thought a human might, but somehow that only made them grow in intensity. No matter -- it would take care of her if need be. She was alone with it in this big house of hers, and she trusted what she saw -- who she thought it was. It would be easy, if it came to that. 

But it hadn’t anticipated the smaller male either. The female contacted him, and suddenly it had two problems to worry about. Getting rid of two humans was riskier than one, but if necessary, it wouldn’t hesitate to do so. 

And anyway, it wanted to move on. This image was getting pesky; it could feel his thoughts -- it was connected to them, and all he was thinking about was the other two humans. His ‘friends.’ Ethan, Amy, Ethan, Amy, Ethan, Amy -- all day long, the thought of them was never ending. It was starting to lose patience. 

Then the other man showed up, going on about forgetting something at the house and needing Mark to go back with him to get it.   
The female was adamant that it go with him. 

It couldn’t refuse without raising even more suspicion. 

The last thing it wanted to do was return to that house -- to that prison, but if it didn’t, it would lose its chance of being free. 

So it went.


	5. Too Many Shadows Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan and the entity that took Mark's body return to the haunted house; Ethan has secret plans to confront it.

Ethan gripped the steering wheel with all his strength, his knuckles turning bone white. Mark -- no, that… thing sat in the passenger seat, placidly staring out the window. Ethan had attempted to make conversation with him -- it, but anything Ethan tried fell flat and only increased his confidence that this was not Mark. So they drove in silence, the thing in Mark’s body staring out at the passing streets, and Ethan hanging onto the wheel with a death grip. 

Ethan was becoming increasingly worried. Mark was bigger than him -- stronger. If it came down to it, Ethan knew Mark would beat him in a fight. Ethan hadn't ever needed to think about that -- not seriously. He knew Mark would never hurt him. But this thing wasn’t Mark, and he was pretty sure it had no hang ups about beating his ass. Ethan wasn’t sure what he’d do if the confrontation ended in a fight. He guessed he would just book it and try to find some other way to get his friend back. He would be no use to Mark if he got himself pulverized. 

They arrived quickly -- too quickly. Ethan’s first drive to the house had felt like it'd taken ages, but this time around he wished it would have taken longer.

They got out of the car, and Ethan followed the thing that looked like his friend to the front door. 

“I just -- have to get some equipment I forgot. It’s upstairs, if you wouldn’t mind helping me,” he said as he unlocked the door. He tried to sound normal, though he felt far from it. 

“Yeah sure. I mean, that’s why I came, right?” Mark said, flashing a charming smile. 

Ethan laughed mechanically, feeling like his face was going to crack from the effort it took.

They stepped inside. 

Ethan led the way up the stairs, the thing behind him so close that he could feel its breath. 

It was strange, feeling so afraid of something that looked like Mark. Ethan didn’t like it at all. He just wanted his friend back. 

As his foot left the final step, Ethan took a deep breath. It was now or never. ‘I’ve lived a nice long life anyway,’ Ethan thought. 

Now on the second floor, he spun on his heels, staring down the thing that had taken Mark from him. 

“You want to explain that?” Ethan asked shortly, sweeping his arm towards the hallway where the real Mark lied. 

The thing looked at him. It’s expressions looked wrong on Mark’s face -- like they didn’t fit. It’s eyes turned dark and cloudy.

“So you figured it out too, huh? Well, the bitch beat you to it.” It’s voice was cold and void.

The bitch? Ethan realized it was talking about Amy, and his insides burned with fury.

“Hey, asshole, don’t call her--”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” it growled, taking two long strides in Ethan’s direction. 

He stepped back, glancing behind him. 

The thing scoffed. It sounded almost exactly like Mark, and that only made Ethan more scared than he already was. 

“Not so brave anymore, are you? Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but you can’t stop me.”

Ethan took a shuddering breath. It was really hard when the thing was a spitting image of Mark. 

“I don’t want to stop you, I just want my friend back.”

The thing glanced at Mark as if it was seeing him for the first time. 

“Oh -- him. He's been a worthy enough vessel I suppose.” It spread its arms wide and smirked at Ethan, who grimaced. 

“But man, is he emotional. I haven’t been connected to many humans before, but they aren’t usually this” it struggled to find the word, “blubbery.

“It’s almost sweet really --” It’s voice dripped with venom. “All he ever thinks about is you and the girl. Not his suffering, or the fear of what might happen to him -- just you and her.”

Ethan felt his chest tighten, and he glanced to where his friend lied on the floor. He tried to stop them, but his eyes filled with tears anyway. 

“Aw, how precious,” the thing mocked. 

Ethan glared at it. “Let him go. Now.”

“Oh, I feel so threatened,” It held its hands up in mock surrender. 

But Ethan had just begun.

“Yeah? Yeah, you should. You think it’s just me and Amy that are onto you?” Ethan’s voice grew with his confidence. He took a step towards the thing as he continued.

“Do you know how many friends Mark has? I mean, for a hermit, he’s got quite a few. It would only take me,” he paused, “maybe ten minutes to call all of them. You might be able to deal with just Amy and I, but you can’t hide from all of us.”

To Ethan's surprise, it seemed to work. For a moment it appeared that the entity had wavered, if only a little. At the very least, it sounded like now it needed to pretend to be sure of itself, rather than feeling genuine confidence. 

“I’ll just leave. I’ll disappear and you’ll never be able to find me.” It sounded smug. 

Ethan laughed, garnering a look of surprise from the entity.

“That’s real rich, man. Do you even know who you’re pretending to be? Mark is literally famous. He’s all over the internet -- has fans all over the world! You would be recognized in an instant. And then you know what would happen?”

Ethan felt his courage sky rocket; he could tell he had this thing by the balls. 

“Then the rumors would start. The second people notice that THE Markiplier isn’t acting like himself, it’ll be all over the internet. And then everyone will be looking at you, and you’ll have nowhere to hide.”

Ethan had taken several steps closer to the thing in Mark’s body, until he was standing eye to eye with it. And by the look it was wearing, Ethan knew he had struck a nerve. Despite being otherworldly, this thing didn’t seem to have thought its plan through. 

“Fine,” it growled. “I’ve been meaning to change bodies -- this one thinks too much. I’ll just take yours instead.”

Before Ethan had a moment to react, he felt Mark’s hand grab him by the throat, tightening painfully. There was a burning sensation, and Ethan felt like instead of a hand, there was hot metal wrapped around his neck. Ethan squirmed, trying to get away. He tried to shout, but his voice only came out as a gurgle. 

The thing looked at him with a manic sense of glee; it was enjoying itself. 

Then suddenly, the glee turned into annoyance. It twitched its head. Then the annoyance turned into fear. 

It dropped Ethan, moving its hands to it’s own neck. 

“Stop -- stop it. You bastard -- STOP,” it shouted in the direction of the hallway. 

“I-- I -- what is --” It’s voice had become raspy, and it sounded like it wasn’t getting enough air. 

Ethan backed up, trying to get as far away from whatever was happening as he could. 

Then suddenly, the image of Mark began to unravel. It started at the feet, curling and spiraling upward until Mark was gone, an exploding shower of light in the image’s place.  
An iridescent ball appeared, shooting up into the ceiling and disappearing with a crackling bang. 

Then he heard someone scream his name. 

“Ethan RUN!”

Ethan lunged for the stairs. 

He flew down the steps, tumbling over himself. He heard sounds behind him, and they suddenly reminded him of Mark. 

He whipped around and found his friend half running, half crawling towards the staircase. Without hesitation, Ethan backtracked. 

“No -- Ethan go,” Mark rasped. 

“Not leaving you,” Ethan muttered, grabbing his friend's arm and throwing it over his shoulder. 

Together they stumbled forward, Ethan doing his best to hold Mark up. Mark was falling behind, having a hard time getting his legs to work. Ethan held on tight, dragging his friend behind him. 

Then they heard a crackling whistle, like the sound fireworks make when rocketing into the air. It was coming from behind them, and gaining at an alarming speed. 

They fell down the last few steps. Ethan tripped, feeling his ankle twist painfully underneath his weight. Losing his only support, Mark followed behind him, narrowly avoiding the smaller man. They landed next to each other with a thud, the wind knocked out of both of them. 

All of the sudden, light burst above them. Mark shoved Ethan hard, pushing him up and towards the door. Ethan just managed to grab his friend’s hand, pulling him along as they made a mad dash for the exit. 

Ethan missed the handle the first time, crashing into the door when it unexpectedly didn’t open. He felt Mark collide with his back. Frantically twisting the handle, the door finally fell open. Mark and Ethan followed it, collapsing onto the ground outside the house.

Both men spun around, scooting backwards as the ball of light raced towards them. Ethan wrapped his fingers around Mark’s arm, holding on tightly. Despite his condition, Mark tried to position himself in front of the smaller man. They both braced. 

The light never came. They watched as it reached the door, expecting it to hurtle into them, but it never did. The second the ball of energy reached the doorframe, it exploded. Sparks shot in every direction, and it made a sound like the earth cracking in half, but then it was gone. 

Mark and Ethan sat on the ground, panting and shaking with adrenaline. Their hearts pounded in their chests and their throats burned with the effort it had taken to get outside. As they tried to regain control of their breathing, eying the house with anticipation that the thing would return for them, a single thought consumed both of their minds.:

Was it finally over?


	6. Too Many Shadows Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I should put a warning before we start: there is some language in this chapter that isn't present in the others, so do with that what you will.   
> Happy reading :)

Neither of them moved for what felt like hours. They watched the door to the house for any signs of the entity. Silence. Everything was still. There was nothing. 

Mark and Ethan slowly came to life. 

Ethan, who was still gripping Mark’s arm, looked up at his friend. Mark looked pale and sick. He looked like he was trying to hold it together. 

“Are -- are you okay?” Ethan asked softly. 

Mark looked at him as if he suddenly realized Ethan was there. Then he exhaled slowly. 

“Uh--” his voice was rough from disuse. Mark moved his hand to run it through his hair, forcing Ethan to let go. 

“I think so.” He said finally. 

Ethan eyed him closely. 

“What the hell just happened?”

Mark gave a tiny shrug. “I don’t know man. I really don’t know. But it was awful.”

Ethan’s brows creased. “Are you sure you’re okay? You should probably go to the hospital…” He let the suggestion hover. 

Mark nodded solemnly. “Yeah, probably. But I think I’m okay. My body hurts, and I’m really fucking thirsty, but I think I’m okay.”

“Alright…” Ethan wasn’t convinced. 

“Can -- would you mind helping me up. My legs aren’t quite cooperating yet.”

Ethan scrambled to his feet, quickly reaching for his friend. He hauled Mark up, and the taller man leaned heavily on him for a moment before steadying himself. Ethan kept a watchful eye on him. 

They both stood by the door, not really knowing what to do. 

“Well, it’s official: I’m going to have nightmares about that until the day I die,” Mark said, a hint of humor warming his voice.

Ethan smiled. “Yeah, dude. What -- what happened?”

Mark shook his head, running a hand across his face. 

“I got pulled into the hallway when the light on your phone went off. Then all of the sudden, I couldn’t move. At all. And then I heard you leaving, and you were taking to -- to me. And I tried to scream, but I couldn’t…”

Mark’s voice was strained. Ethan felt his gut turn cold. His hand returned to Mark’s arm, giving it a squeeze. 

Mark smiled sadly at his friend, acknowledging the support. 

“I’m so sorry, Mark. I should’ve noticed something was up. I should have come back for you sooner --” Mark was shaking his head. 

“No, I don’t know how you could’ve known. I mean, it’s not like what happened is an every day thing, is it, your friend getting body snatched by some weird glowy light?” Mark tried to laugh.

“I guess… but still, I feel horrible.”

“Well don’t. Everything’s fine now.” 

Mark looked at him with intent. “Thank you, Ethan.”

Nodding his head, Ethan rubbed Mark’s arm. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah… hey, do you think we could go home?” Mark sounded exhausted. 

“Of course,” Ethan said quickly, leading his friend to the car. Mark reached out for Ethan’s shoulder occasionally to steady himself. Ethan’s arm hovered around Mark’s waist, ready to catch him if he fell. 

Neither of them bothered to close the front door to the house. They weren’t going anywhere near it ever again. 

In the car, Mark shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He reached around to rub his back and Ethan saw that the skin was covered in bruises from laying down for so long. Ethan scowled a little, furious that this had happened. 

But then Mark seemed to settle into a comfortable position. He gazed out the window, an absent look on his face. 

Then, with a start, Ethan remembered something. He reached a hand up to touch his throat, which was sore and a little bruised. 

“Mark, what did you do when that thing was choking me? It looked at you and kept telling you to stop.” Ethan's eyes flickered between his friend and the road in front of them, trying not to crash the vehicle. 

Mark looked at Ethan a little sheepishly. “I held my breath.”

“You… you held your breath.” 

“Yeah. When that thing said it had -- heard my thoughts, or whatever, it made me think that maybe our bodies were connected too. Honestly, I don’t know where the idea came from, but, y’know,” Mark shrugged. 

“Well, I’m glad it did. Shit.”

“I’m just glad it didn’t hurt you,” Mark said with sincerity. 

“Aw, Mark… You know, it said that you didn’t stop thinking of me or Amy…” Ethan stopped, knowing the sentiment might make Mark feel awkward. 

“Yeah, well, I was worried about you guys. I didn’t really care about myself. Just the thought that you two might be in danger was enough to make me forget about what was happening to me.”

If Ethan hadn’t been driving, he would have grabbed Mark by the shoulder and shook him. 

“We cared about you, Mark. Amy was the one who realized something was even wrong in the first place. She called me asking to come check on you. We were both worried sick.”

Mark gave a small smile. “How is she?”

“Worried about you. But she’ll be glad to have you back.”

Mark nodded, and silence took up the space for a while. 

“Hey Ethan,” Mark said eventually. 

“Yeah Mark.”

Mark yawned. “Don’t tell Amy, okay?” There was some teasing in his tone. 

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh, thinking about their long running joke. 

“I don’t know, man. If you can’t hide a stain on the carpet or a hole in the wall from her, what makes you think you’ll be able to hide a body-snatching situation?”

Mark laughed at that, and it was the best thing Ethan had ever heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking one more chapter to wrap things up. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Also, you can catch me on tumblr @orangechickenpillow, so feel free to pop by if you want to leave comments/suggestions/requests that way.   
> Thanks for reading, and stay safe :)


	7. Too Many Shadows Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark, Ethan, and Amy deal with the aftermath of their traumas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So turns out I'm not quite done yet lol. I took the suggestion of someone in the comments (thank you for that by the way, I always appreciate feedback!) and added some extra fluff before finishing out the story. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! This has been so much fun to write :)

It took a little while for things to get back to normal. When they returned home that day, they told Amy what had happened immediately after Mark chugged several cups of water. She stared at them in stunned silence for what felt like forever, both of them glancing nervously at each other, afraid that she wouldn’t believe them. But she did. Amy trusted both of them, and though what they had told her was hard to believe, she knew it wasn’t something they would fabricate. 

She nodded her head, gave each of them a big hug, and tried to help them move on from it as best she could. And at the end of the day, she was the moral support that held both of them together. Truth was, the events of the past day had a lasting effect on both Mark and Ethan. 

That night, Ethan didn’t want to go home. It just felt wrong, leaving Mark and Amy after all that had happened. So he sheepishly asked if he could stay over, just to make sure everything remained okay. Both Mark and Amy agreed immediately. It felt good to know he was wanted, and he knew he would rest easier knowing his friends were close. The reality of what had happened was finally sinking in, and he didn’t want to be alone tonight. 

Ethan cooked Mark a big meal -- the older man was starving, as he hadn’t had anything in nearly twenty-four hours. Amy cautioned him to take it slow, hovering over him with a watchful eye. The whole thing had her pretty freaked out too. Whenever she thought back to the night before -- the night with that thing, her stomach tightened with horror. But she had her Mark back. She was just glad it was all over. 

And thankfully, Mark didn’t seem too different from himself. Sure, he was pretty shaken up -- they all were -- but it seemed the whole event hadn’t traumatized him too badly. Mark had experienced a lot of pain in his life, and through those experiences, he’d learned to cope with the aftermath. His night at the house had been truly horrible, but it felt like it was in the past. He was okay, his friends were safe, he had his life back: he was ready to move on from it. 

Ethan, on the other hand, remembered it all vividly. While Mark had been frozen, unable to see or do anything, Ethan had witnessed it all. The way that thing contorted Mark’s image, morphing it into something terrible and grotesque. Ethan could still feel the fear -- feel its fingers around his throat. While Mark was dealing with the trauma of losing his ability to act, Ethan had to deal with the trauma of facing a problem, looking in the eyes and accepting all that came with confrontation. 

Both of them had new scars because of the entity they’d faced. The night that Ethan slept over proved just how true this was. 

Mark went to bed early. After eating half the fridge and taking a long, hot shower, Mark was utterly exhausted. Amy and Ethan both encouraged him to get some sleep.   
They, however, stayed up to talk. Ethan could sense that Amy had some things she wanted to say. He fell back onto the couch, sighing with weariness; he was just as exhausted as Mark. 

Amy joined him, sitting close with her legs tucked up under her. She looked at him carefully. 

“You okay, bud?”

Suddenly, Ethan was crying. The question, so simple, pierced his chest, and now all his pent up emotions were seeping out. He’d tried to stay strong for Mark. He knew his friend had been through something traumatic, and he wanted to be there for him. And being there meant letting Mark feel the emotion, not him. But fuck, it had been hard. 

His face screwed up as his tears kept flowing. 

“Oh Ethan,” Amy said softly, her voice filled with compassion. 

She reached across and pulled him into a hug. Ethan fell against her, letting himself be wrapped up in her embrace. It felt warm and soft and safe, and he wanted her to never let go. 

She rubbed his back, then moved to cradle the back of his head with her hand. 

Ethan cried out everything he had been holding back. 

And he felt so much better. 

Once the tears subsided, Amy gently moved him so she was holding him at arm’s length, looking into his eyes. 

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Ethan said, flapping his hands. “I just… fuck. I just really needed to get that out.”

“It’s okay,” she said. Then, “I’m worried about you, Ethan. Both of you…”

“I know,” Ethan said, his eyes misting over again. “But we’re going to be okay. I promise. What -- what happened sucked, but… we both went through it. Together. I think that’s gonna make the difference.”

Amy looked at him kindly, her eyes weighed down by a hint of sadness. 

“I’m so sorry… you should have told me.”

Ethan frantically shook his head. 

“Don’t be sorry. I didn’t want to scare you -- and honestly, I wasn’t even sure what I was doing. I didn’t think it was real... but it was.” Ethan sighed. “Anyway, it’s over now.”  
“Okay,” Amy said slowly. “But if you need anything, please please please let me know this time, okay?” She ducked her head to meet Ethan’s gaze, which was directed at his hands. 

Ethan hesitantly raised his eyes to meet hers. 

“Okay,” he said, and when she didn’t look convinced, “Promise.”

She gave him a soft smile, which he returned. 

Reaching out to squeeze both of his hands, she said, “I’ll go get you a change of clothes and some blankets.”

“Thanks, Amy.”

She smiled as she left.


	8. Too Many Shadows Part 8

Amy made Ethan swear to get her if he needed anything throughout the night. Almost the moment she turned the lights off and left him bundled underneath a pile of blankets on their couch, Ethan was fast asleep. The day had left him exhausted, and his body was grateful for the rest. 

And he slept peacefully, for a while.

Then the nightmare started. 

It was horrible. 

He was back at the house. Mark was there, smiling and laughing. Ethan had said something funny, and Mark was really into it. Ethan smiled, feeling warm with the knowledge that he could make his friend laugh like that. But then something changed. Everything grew darker, and Mark’s face distorted. His features seemed to run together until they were angry and cruel. Now, instead of laughing, Mark was snarling at him. And then Ethan couldn’t breathe. He felt Mark’s hand wrap around his neck, cutting off his airway. He thrashed, trying to scream, but he couldn’t get away. 

And just when he thought he would suffocate, he woke with a yelp. 

“Woah, woah! Hey man, you’re okay, everything’s okay.”

Where was that voice coming from? Ethan’s eyes wouldn’t focus, and the darkness was blinding. 

Then he saw Mark looming in his line of vision. Ethan gasped, scrambling backwards with his breath caught in his throat. His mind flashed red with primal fear. 

Mark’s expression paled as it turned to one of shock. He took a step back, looking sick. 

“Eth… it’s me. It’s okay, I’m not --” his voice faltered, “I’m not going to hurt you. I would never, ever.”

Then, just as sudden as the dream had sprung up, Ethan’s head cleared. He looked around him for the first time, realizing where he was, and that he wasn’t dreaming anymore. Then he saw Mark. The man looked awful. 

“Oh my God, Mark, I’m so sorry,” Ethan said, his voice a raspy whisper. 

Mark just looked at him. “What? -- No -- Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just -- I was having a really awful dream and --”

“About me,” Mark interrupted, and it wasn’t a question, but a grim realization. 

Mark turned around with a groan, rubbing his forehead with his hands. 

“No -- Mark,” Ethan jumped off the couch, teetering as a blanket wrapped around his legs. 

Righting himself, he quickly closed the distance between him and his friend. He reached out a hand and pressed it against Mark’s shoulder. 

Mark didn’t look at him. 

“Mark, I’m not afraid of you, or anything --”

“But you are. You are -- you just were,” Mark sounded angry, but at the same time, close to tears. 

“No, Mark, I’m not.”

Putting both hands on his friend’s shoulder, Ethan spun him around until they were facing each other.

“I am not afraid of you. It’s just -- that thing looked so much like you, and… and it scared me. And my sleep brain just got you mixed up with it -- but I know you’re not it. You’re you -- you’re my friend.” 

Mark slowly raised his eyes to look into Ethan’s. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Ethan looked intently at Mark, and when he saw a little of the pain leave the older man’s eyes, he smiled. 

Mark smiled back. 

“So, uh… you want to get a snack or something,” Ethan asked. 

Mark gave him a tired smirk. 

“I think we’ve got ice cream in the freezer.”

“Sounds great.”

Together, they headed into the kitchen. 

Mark and Ethan sat next to each other at the kitchen table. Each of them had a spoon, and they were dipping it into a carton of butter pecan ice cream. 

“I get why this is your favorite -- it’s pretty good,” Ethan said, licking his spoon before dipping it back in for more. 

“Mmm,” Mark hummed in acknowledgement. 

They descended into a solemn but comfortable silence. 

“So, uh… why were you up?”

Mark’s gaze slowly flicked up to meet Ethan's face. 

“Bad dream,” he replied. 

“Oh,” Ethan said. “I’m sorry.”

Mark shook his head dismissively. After a moment of silence, he said, “Aren’t we just two messed up bastards,” with a chuckle. 

Ethan laughed softly. 

“Yeah, I guess we are.”

“But hey -- we’re back. We’re okay -- or we’re going to be, at least,” at this, Mark looked intently at Ethan.

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re going to be okay.”

They exchanged smiles as they finished the ice cream in a contented silence. 

And they were okay. Things were rough for a little while; all three of them had to get used to carrying the knowledge of what had happened. 

Filming videos for Unus Annus helped. It made things feel normal -- like nothing had ever changed. 

After that first night, Ethan never had another nightmare about Mark. It seemed that his subconscious had recognized that his friend was back, and the thing that had pretended to be him was gone forever. Ethan was glad for that, and felt just as close to Mark as before. 

Mark had nightmares more frequently, and occasional episodes of sleep paralysis, but those dulled with time. Amy was a monumental support for both of them, always there when they needed her most. She always seemed to know the right thing to say. 

Ethan started spending the night at their house more frequently -- so much so, that they started keeping the spare bedroom ready for him at all times. Neither of them minded. If Mark had a nightmare, oftentimes he’d creep out of he and Amy’s room and stand outside Ethan’s door. When he finally mustered up the courage to knock, he’d always be met with his friend’s willingness to let him in. They’d sit up together on the bed, wrapped up in blankets, talking through what had happened to them, or sometimes just talking. Either way, they helped each other deal with what had gone down in the house. 

And in all honesty, neither of them knew where they’d be without the other. 

Things got easier, and Mark, Ethan, and Amy only grew closer as the time wore on. They lived in a constant state of thankfulness for the others and the support that they offered. And eventually, things really did feel normal again. The only difference that lingered long after that night at the house was the new and profound feeling of intimacy that they shared. Even once the trauma subsided -- as much as trauma can -- each of them knew that they could trust the others with their life. 

The horror of that night changed them, but Mark, Ethan, and Amy couldn’t say that they wished it hadn’t happened: because of it, their little friend group had become a family, and they couldn’t be more grateful to have each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think this is it. 
> 
> I wanna thank everyone who made suggestions and just lovely comments in general -- you guys are pretty neat :)
> 
> This was a lot of fun to write, and I'm a little sad it's over, but if Unus Annus has taught me anything, it's that everything has its end. 
> 
> I definitely plan to continue posting on here; if anyone has series or once-and-done fic suggestion, I'm very much open to taking them. You can find me on tumblr @orangechickenpillow
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Stay safe everyone, and I'll see you in the next one.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there!   
> So, this is my first fanfiction, though I do dabble in creative writing in my free time. This was so much fun to write, and I have a couple other fics on the way if anyone's interested.   
> I'm open to any tips, pointers, or constructive criticisms if you wanna send them my way.   
> Ok cool, hope you enjoyed!  
> Stay safe out there <3


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